Lesson # 2 on Psalms 139

The Mystery of the Church:  The Manifold Wisdom of God

Lesson # 2  Psalm 139

Paul’s letter to the Gentile assemblies would have been received and read to many who knew him – or at least, who knew of him.  But for those who might have been less familiar with Paul, he wrote a brief introduction to himself and his ministry, as we saw last week. 

Paul made it clear that it was God Himself who gave Paul his ministry.  Paul described this ministry as a dispensation, or stewardship; he had been appointed by God to be responsible for certain members of His household.  Which members were these?  The Gentiles. 

And Paul indicated that this was made known to him as a revelation by God of the mystery – the mystery of Christ.  The mystery of Christ is a general term that Paul uses to describe things within the plan of God which were at one time secret, but which God was now disclosing, based on His Christ having come; they are mysteries disclosed in Christ. 

Sometimes Paul writes of a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ; we had already read of the mystery of God’s will, in chapter 1.  Last week, we encountered another specific aspect of the mystery of Christ, associated with the Gentiles. 

The mystery was not that the Gentiles should be saved, for the prophets had spoken of that.  I just want to show you three passages in the OT which makes this plain. 

Turn to Isaiah chapter 42.  This is one of the prophecies given to Isaiah concerning Messiah as the Servant of Jehovah.  They were known as the Servant Songs.

[Isaiah 42:1, 6-9]

v. 1  the idea is that the lawless Gentiles will receive God’s law; the law will be written in their hearts.

v. 6-7  Speaking of the Servant’s calling.  The Servant of Jehovah, the Messiah, will Himself actually be given to the people – including the Gentiles – as a covenant; Messiah is the eternal covenant, in Himself.  The Gentiles will have their eyes opened to Him – as their Savior; and He will free them – from their bondage to sin and death.  We see the ideas of salvation and deliverance, for the Gentiles.

v. 8-9  So the LORD gave Isaiah this prophecy, as He gives all prophecies – so that when it came to pass, the people would recognize that God was doing this.  

Now turn to Isaiah chapter 49, where we find another Servant Song.

[Isaiah 49:5-6]  So salvation was extended beyond Israel, to the Gentile nations.

Turn to Malachi chapter 1.  The setting of this prophecy is after the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem.  The prophet Malachi expresses the LORD’s grief and displeasure over the indifference of Israel toward Him.  In contrast, Malachi prophesies of the Gentiles, who will gladly receive the LORD, and worship Him.

[Malachi 1:11]  Malachi had just prophesied that the LORD would not accept the offering of the Israel, because it was an impure offering (Mal 1:6-8); they offered to the LORD their own righteous works, which were as filthy rags to Him (Is 64:6).  But the Gentiles will bring a pure offering – they will offer the work of faith – believing into Christ – and they will be accepted in the Beloved.

This is just a sampling of the prophecies concerning the Gentiles, which show that they would be accepted by God based on the Coming Christ, and receive His salvation.    

[Return to Ephesians]

So to anyone familiar with the OT, it was no mystery that the Gentiles would be saved.  What was a mystery was that the Jews and the Gentiles would be on equal terms, with equal access to God – because they had both been born again, born of the Spirit, and were now the children of God; members of His household – fellow heirs of salvation. 

And the mystery went further than that – and deeper.  It was a mystery that the Jews and the Gentiles would actually be one – they would not be “separate, but equal” – they would be unified as God’s own special people (Titus 2:14).  Their unity was so entire that Paul describes it under the metaphor of a body, of which they were both a part, or members – one body.  They were a part of one another now, as fellow members of the Body of Christ – the true church. 

So the fullness of this mystery describe here was the church itself – Jews and Gentiles, who had been called out of this world system to be one, in Christ.  The church was a mystery before the Coming of Christ to the earth.

Now, last week I mentioned that Paul used a most unique word to describe the wisdom of God, in bringing forth the church.  Do you remember what that word was?  You can find it in verse 10.  It’s the word translated “manifold”.  This is the only use of this word in the NT. 

The word means variegated, or multi-colored; it is used to describe cloth woven of multi-colored thread.  This is how Paul describes the wisdom of God that is made known by the church; that is declared by the church. 

Now, this declaration is not something that is spoken, but something that is reflected, or seen.  Just as the heavens declare the glory of God (Ps 19:1) – His glory is reflected, or seen in them – the church declares the wisdom of God – His wisdom is reflected, or seen, in the church – His manifold wisdom. 

A reflection shows the likeness of what it is reflecting.  So the church, in some particular way, reflects this variegated, multi-colored wisdom of God.

I believe Paul deliberately chose this unique word to describe God’s wisdom as seen in the church based on his knowledge of the OT, and what is found in the OT concerning the church. 

Now, while it is true that the church was a mystery, until Christ brought it forth, this does not mean that the OT is completely silent regarding the church.  It’s just that, until the church actually came into being, the very few passages that relate to the church were deeply shrouded; and I believe that the Lord intended it to be that way; the church was supposed to remain a mystery, until God chose to reveal it. 

But having been revealed, the church now can shed some light on certain OT passages, which demonstrate that the church was always a part of the plan of God.  And certainly one of the greatest statements concerning the church is found in Psalm 139 – which I think was Paul’s inspiration for what he was saying about the church here, and in other parts of this letter.

Let’s turn to Psalm 139.

This is a psalm of David.  What David was moved to write by the Holy Spirit was frequently drawn from David’s own circumstances in life; his experiences.  But in this psalm, as in so many others of David’s, the inspired words transcend David’s own life and speak prophetically of the Coming One, the Messiah, who would be David’s Seed and heir to his throne. 

In fact, with this particular psalm, all of what is said reflects the Coming Messiah; and although much of this psalm can pertain to either David or the Messiah, there are some parts that can only be true for Messiah alone.  Remember that the psalms were Israel’s songs.  This psalm has actually been called, “the Song of the Son of Man”.

We are going to be looking at this psalm almost exclusively from the perspective of David’s inspired prophecy contained within it concerning the Coming Messiah.  As we do so, we will be able to uncover the mystery hidden in this psalm concerning the church. 

The Song of the Son of Man takes the perspective of the Son of God from the time when He was incarnated upon the earth as the Son of Man, as Messiah; He is the singer of the song. 

And who is He singing to?  We can see that His words are addressed to the LORD – Jehovah – the personal name of God; and also, He occasionally uses the title, “God”, which is Elohim.  In that it is the Son who is singing to Jehovah-Elohim, we understand that here, Jehovah-Elohim is referring to the Father. This is a song sung by the Son, on earth, to His Father, in heaven.   

We know that songs often have a structure or form – perhaps excepting some contemporary music.  Likewise, the psalms have structure. There are several structures that can be seen within the psalms, such as parallel form, linear form, and symmetric form. 

This psalm contains four-part symmetric form.  The reason that this is useful for us to know is that it will help us to get an overview of what the psalm is saying, and it will also be useful for understanding certain parts of it.

You may just want to make a little mark in your Bible to divide off the four parts of this psalm, so you can more easily see what each part contains.  There are six verses to each part.

The first part is verses 1-6;

The second part is verses 7-12;

The third part is verses 13-18;

And the fourth part is verses 19-24.

Now in the first part of the psalm, the Son sings to His Father about His omniscience – He is all-knowing, and knows everything about the Son.  We will see that what the Father knows all about pertains to the Son in His first coming to the earth, as the Savior.

In the second part of the psalm, the Son sings of the Father’s omnipresence – He is everywhere-present.  The Father is with the Son, wherever He goes, through His entire course of life on this earth.

The Son reflects mainly on the Father’s omnipotence in the third part of the psalm – the Father’s ability to bring His foreknown plans to fruition through the Son.  

The last part of the psalm pertains to the Second Coming of Messiah to the earth, when the Son will execute His Father’s will concerning His judgment upon the wicked.

Within the four-part symmetric form, you will generally find in this psalm couplets – of synonymous or complementary concepts in each verse.   The psalmist is stating the same or related thoughts in two different ways, within each verse.

For example, look at verse 3:  “You comprehend my path and my lying down” – and now, a synonymous way of expressing this – “You are acquainted with all my ways”.  

Now look in verse 8:  “If I ascend into heaven, You are there” and now, a complementary thought:  “If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there”. 

Do you get the idea? You will find that this is the general pattern throughout the psalm.  The repetition serves to emphasize each thought; but when there is a significant break from this pattern, what is being said has even greater force, because it stands out.  The psalmist has one significant departure from his pattern, as we shall see shortly.  

As we begin, remember that this first part is about the Father’s knowledge of His Son, in Messiah’s first coming to the earth.

v. 1-3  The thoughts in these three verses reflect the Father’s omniscience; He can discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.  The Hebrew terms for “searched” refers to the LORD probing the heart, to examine its inner motives.  The Father has searched Messiah’s heart, and knows it entirely. 

Notice in verse 2 that it says “you understand my thought afar off”.  In what respect is the Father afar off?  The Father is in heaven; this reflects the incarnation of the Son on the earth, as Messiah.  Heaven is far off from the earth, where Messiah is.  Yet from that distance, the Father examines every one of Messiah’s inner motives, and He knows them.

In His omniscience, the Father can also see Messiah’s actions; His sitting down and rising up.  There is no position that Messiah was in, in which the Father didn’t see Him.  And the Father comprehended Messiah’s path, and His lying down; His course through this life; His conduct in this world; the things He did, and the things He didn’t do. 

The word “comprehend” literally means to sift.  The Father sifted the path of Messiah through the sieve of His righteousness, and everything in that path passed through the sieve; there was no lump of self-motive in Messiah.  This brings to mind the grain offering, with its fine flour – which pictures Messiah in His perfect humanity.  But the emphasis here is on the Father’s knowledge of Messiah. 

v. 4  Not only did the Father know Messiah’s thoughts, and His actions; the Father knew Messiah’s words – every one of them.  The Father not only knew what Messiah said; He knew what Messiah meant by what He said.  All of His thoughts and actions and words were subject to the most intense scrutiny.  Why?  Because Messiah had to be perfect; the perfect sacrifice for sin.

v. 5  the word “hedged” also means enclosed, or closed in.  Notice that Messiah was closed in not on every side, but behind and before.  The idea is that this enclosing was not to prevent Messiah from turning to the right or the left, but to keep Him from going ahead or staying behind.  It does not suggest the idea of keeping on course, but of following the prescribed timing of the course.

And the Father’s hand was laid on Messiah; this is an expression which means to help, or to have a common goal.  What the psalmist is bringing out is that Messiah followed His course through life in perfect accord with the Father’s will; He did not take one step, until the Father directed Him to do so.  And the Father watched each and every one of Messiah’s steps, examining them to make sure they kept perfect time as He revealed His will to Messiah.

Notice that there is no sense in this passage that Messiah was concerned, or unwilling to have this kind of scrutiny.  It is as if He invited it; and when we get to the end of this psalm, we’ll see that is exactly what He does.

v. 6  Now, this is a verse which most people would say certainly could not apply to Messiah; that surely this only had to do with David.  How can it be that Messiah, who was God in the flesh, would not know what the Father knows? 

Let’s look at the language here, first.  “Too wonderful” means beyond human ability.  It was beyond the ability of a human being to be all-knowing, like the Father.  The word “high” in this context means to be inaccessible.  The psalmist is saying that the knowledge that the Father had was inaccessible to Messiah.  The phrase that follows more literally means, “I am not able to reach it”.  Can you begin to see that this does apply to Messiah, in His incarnation on the earth? 

When Jesus was praying to the Father before He went to the cross, He said, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (Jn 17:5).  Jesus was speaking of the glory that He had with the Father before He came to the earth, and was praying that the Father would now restore that glory. 

Paul wrote of Jesus, “He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7).  Before His incarnation, Jesus was fully God, equal to the Father; after His incarnation, Jesus was still fully God, still equal to the Father – “I and Father are one” (Jn 10:30) – but His deity was veiled in a body of flesh. 

Taking the form of a bondservant, Jesus never did His own will, but only the will of the Father.  Jesus of Himself did nothing (Jn 5:30); the Father did His work through Jesus, by the Spirit.

Not only did Jesus consciously limit His will to the will of His Father; the human form which God the Son chose to take on Himself imposed its own limitations.  Being in a body meant that God the Son was now limited, in Himself, to being in one place at one time. 

And Jesus had to grow up, from an infant to an adult; Luke records that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Lk 2:52).  To increase in wisdom shows that the incarnate Son had to learn like every other child; in fact, Isaiah prophesies of Messiah that the Father awakened Him morning by morning, to hear as the learned (Is 50:4).  So the knowledge of God the Son was limited, in taking on a body of flesh; he learned, as all men learn. 

This clarifies verse 6 in our psalm.  We can see that in His incarnation, Jesus limited Himself to a body of flesh, in which knowledge was not inherent, but had to be learned.  But the Father shared everything with Jesus that He needed to know, through the Spirit in Him.

The next verse begins the second part of the psalm, concerning the omnipresence of the Father.

v. 7-10  Now, this is not meant to imply that Messiah was trying to get away from the Father.  The idea is that the Father is everywhere Messiah goes. 

This is borne out in verse 8 and 9.  Hell is actually the Hebrew Sheol, the place of departed beings.  The grave takes the body, and Sheol takes the soul, or being.  Before Jesus actually came to the earth, Sheol had two compartments:  for the righteous dead, and for the unrighteous dead. 

In this passage, Sheol represents the lowest place a person could possibly go.  Conversely, heaven stands for the highest place.  It is not unusual for celestial bodies to be portrayed with wings.  So in verse 9, the “wings of the morning” refers to the sun; the dawning day.  Where does the sun come up?  At the furthest point east that you can see. 

Now, “the sea” in verse 9 refers to the Mediterranean Sea.  From the land of Israel and Judea, the sun set over the Mediterranean; so that represents the furthest point west. 

The concept is that no matter how far away Messiah was – north, south, east, west – the Father was right there with Him.  The Father was with Him wherever He went.  And everywhere Messiah went, the Father was leading Him, in His will, and upholding Him, in His will; the Father was behind Him and before Him, enclosing Him in the powerful hand of His protection – because Messiah chose to obey His will.

v. 11-12  Messiah lived in complete dependence upon the Father, who enlightening Him through the Holy Spirit within Him.  The Father is outside of time; therefore He is never in the dark about anything; any circumstance, concerning any person, at any time.  The Father enlightened Messiah to everything He needed to know, so that He always walked in the Light.    

The next part of the psalm reflects the Father’s omnipotence, specifically in terms of what He has planned being brought to pass on the earth.  This is the section that ties in with our passage in Ephesians.  In it, the Messiah is speaking of how the Father made Him, in His incarnation on the earth – and of what was made from Him. 

Now you will have to be patient in this section, because there are a lot of Hebrew words which must be explained, in order to have the right understanding of what the psalmist is saying.  But if you stick with it, you will see something wonderful.

Also, if you happen to have any preconceived ideas of what this passage is speaking about, please try to lay them aside and consider what’s being said.  

v. 13  the NKJV translates this verse quite well.  The Hebrew word for “form” means to create or to bring forth.  In this context, it is referring to the forming of a fetus in a womb. 

“Inward parts” is literally the kidneys.  It refers to the inner aspect of a man.  It can be the immaterial aspect; the soul; or it can mean inner organs.  In this context, the latter is implied – inner organs – reflecting the parallel phrase which follows:  “You covered me in my mother’s womb”. 

“Covered” means to weave or knot together, and is being used to describe the Father’s activity in creating a fetus within the womb, of putting the parts together.

What is Messiah speaking of, to His Father?  He’s speaking of His own incarnation on the earth, in the womb of the virgin, Mary.  The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her, and she conceived in her womb and brought forth a Son, Jesus; the Son of the Highest; the heir to David’s throne; the Holy One; the Son of God (Lk 1:31-35).

The psalmist continued on a note of praise.   

v. 14  Messiah is praising His Father, for how He is made.  “Fearfully” here has the sense of awe-inspiring.  “Wonderfully” actually means to be distinct or set apart; to be different. 

What perfect words these are which describe the incarnation of the God the Son as the Messiah!  Here is Deity, conceiving the Life of God within the human egg of a woman, so as to be fully God and fully man – the one and only Messiah, entirely distinctive and unique.  This is the awesome work of the Father, which Messiah knows very well.

Messiah then moved from His own incarnation, to that which the Father created from Him.

v. 15  the “frame” of Messiah literally is referring to His bodily frame; His bones.  Messiah is saying that His bones were not concealed from the Father; that is, the Father could see His bones, His bodily frame. 

Messiah is speaking of this regarding a particular time – when?  When He was made in secret; the idea here is in a hiding place. 

So in this hiding place – a place where Messiah was hidden from others – Messiah was not hidden from the Father’s omniscient gaze.  What is this hiding place?  At the end of the verse – it’s the “lowest parts of the earth”.  Now, the lowest parts of the earth indicates the realm of the dead; it is the opposite of the land of the living (Ez 26:20). 

Messiah is speaking of the time when He was cut off from the land of the living (Is 53:8); when He had been put to death.  In death, He was hidden from men, for a time; but He was never hidden from His Father. 

And in this hiding place, death, Messiah was being made in secret.  What can that mean?  The word for “made” means to build or construct; to fashion out of something already made.  What was being built of fashioned out of Messiah, in this hidden place of death? 

We have a clue in the phrase “skillfully wrought”.  In this context, the phrase speaks in a figurative sense of a human embryo’s being woven into existence.  The key Hebrew word in this phrase literally means to embroider, or weave.  In its only other usage in the OT, it refers to variegating a garment; of weaving multi-colored threads together (Ex 38:23). 

Does this word remind you of anything?  Perhaps of Paul’s word, in Ephesians 3:10, when he spoke of the manifold wisdom of God which the church reflects?  Yes.  Both words are unique, and unusual; both not really speaking of embroidering, but of weaving cloth together using threads of various different colors. 

So was the psalmist being inspired here by the Holy Spirit to make a veiled reference to the church, the Body of Christ?  He certainly was. 

It can be said that the Body of Christ was formed out of the death of Jesus.  Jesus was that grain of wheat that fell to the ground – His incarnation – and died, in order to bring forth much fruit – glorified sons of God. 

Those who believe into Jesus are baptized into His death, by which they die out of that old creation in Adam, and are raised with Christ in the newness of His life – a new creation in Christ Jesus.

That new creation is one; one with Christ, and one with each other.  We see the different members of the Body of Christ in those threads of various colors – Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free.  Woven together in Christ, they form one strong cloth – a living net, with which the Lord catches other men, taking them into His church, through the gospel His members share.   

As the psalmist continues, we see this veiled reference to the church continuing.

v. 16  Whose eyes is Messiah speaking of?  His Father’s eyes; all-seeing, and all-knowing.  The Father’s eyes saw Messiah’s “substance being yet unformed”. 

This is one word in the Hebrew, and it refers to anything which is folded up, or undeveloped.  In this context, it is referring to an embryo or fetus, where all the members of the body are as yet folded up, or undeveloped, before they have assumed their distinct form and proportions. 

Now, the next part makes it apparent that this does not refer to Messiah, but to the church that came from Him.

The word for “days” is plural in the Hebrew; the word for the most basic conception of time - yom.  In this context, the plural means “lifespans”.  The words “for me” are not found in the KJV or in the Interlinear.

A more literal rendering of this phrase would be, “And in Your book all of them were written, the lifespans fashioned, when as yet there were none of them”. 

First of all, whose book is being spoken of, and what is this book?  Messiah is addressing the Father – it is His eyes which omnisciently saw this yet-to-be-developed life form in Messiah, and it is in His book that all of them were written. 

Can you see here that this is speaking of the Father, in His foreknowledge, who can see the lifespan of each and every man who will choose to believe and become a member of the Body of Christ, the church?  And in what book are all their names written?  In the book of Life. 

And all of it was done before any of them even existed.  Before they ever came into being, the Father had, in His foreknowledge, fashioned them into that new creation in Christ Jesus – His Body.  Here we see the election of God, as well as Him creating a destiny for those who will believe ahead of time – predestination.

Now look back for a moment over verses 13-16.  What overall tense did the psalmist use to describe Messiah and the Body that would be formed of Him?  Formed; covered; was not hidden; made; skillfully wrought; saw; were written; fashioned.  The past tense. 

Were these things past, when the psalmist was writing?  No; they were future.  But it is being spoken of as if it is already done – because in the plan of God, it is done.  What God has planned, He always brings to pass.  His thoughts are essentially His already accomplished works.

The psalmist once again praises God.

v. 17-18  This is Messiah praising His Father for His thoughts – they are precious, and they are great.  Why are they precious?  Because the Father’s thoughts resulted in many sons coming to glory – glorified sons of God, who can have a relationship of love with God.  That is precious to Messiah; precious to the Father; and precious to us. 

And Messiah also says they are great in sum; in number.  Is He referring to the sons of God, or is He referring to the thoughts of the Father?  The idea of them being more in number than the sand suggests they are innumerable.  This, and the parallelism in the first part of the verse, suggests that what is great in sum are the Father’s thoughts. 

How many thoughts, do you think, were part of the plan that led to your salvation?  Or to mine?  To all the members of the Body of Christ?  More than the sand of the seashore.

Here we see the idea behind Paul’s phrase, “the manifold wisdom of God”.  Here are the innumerable thoughts of the Father, knit together in His brilliant plan, that produced the many-colored threads which have been woven into the glorious tapestry known as the church – the Body of Christ.  It is indeed a church of glory.

Notice the last part of verse 18:  “When I awake, I am still with you”.  Would you say that this is parallel in any way to the first part of verse 18?  No; it stands alone, making it stand out; giving it prominence.  The word “still” means more literally, “again; “When I awake, I am again with you”. 

This is a clear reference to the Son, who had left His place in heaven in order to bring forth many sons to glory.  He has now awakened out of death into resurrection life, to again be with the Father in heaven, where He has been glorified with the glory He had with the Father before the world was (Jn 17:5).  “I am He who lives and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore” (Rev 1:18). 

Notice the position in this psalm of this prominent phrase; it is at the end of the third part.  What does three represent, in Scripture?  Resurrection.  The resurrection of Jesus is the key to the gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation, for everyone who believes.  It is on the resurrected Christ that the church is built (Eph 2:20).

The remainder of the psalm pertains to the second coming of Christ, when He will judge those who have opposed His Father – and Himself.

v. 19-22  Now, this part of the psalm is speaking not of unbelievers in general, but those who have decisively rejected the LORD and His Messiah.  These are the rebels, who have given themselves over to Satan, in complete opposition to God. 

They are described as wicked, which means that they are enemies of God; they are evil, and do not learn righteousness, but instead pursue their wicked ways among the righteous.  They are also described as bloodthirsty men, violently taking the lives of other men.  And they speak malicious lies against God.

Notice in verse 20 that “your name” is in italics, indicating it is not in the original.  Literally, the phrase means, “Your enemies are lifted up with vanity”.  They attempt to tear God down, with their words, all the while that they are building themselves up.  This brings another psalm of David immediately to mind.  Turn to Psalm 2.

[Psalm 2]

v. 1-3  Here are the wicked rebels in opposition to the LORD and His Anointed One, Messiah.

v. 4-6  The LORD has already established His King over the earth; it is as good as done.

v. 7-8  This is speaking of the LORD having begotten His Son out of death; it is the risen Messiah who is given His inheritance – the entire earthly kingdom.

v. 9  The first action of Messiah the King will be to destroy the rebels from out of His kingdom.

v. 10-12  Here we see a choice being given to the rest of the nations; to submit to the Son, or be destroyed.  His reign will be one of absolute peace and righteousness.

When will the prophecies in this psalm be fulfilled?  When Jesus returns to the earth, in His Second Coming.  And that is also the time frame of the last part of Psalm 139.

[Return to Psalm 139]

What we see here is the likemindedness of Messiah with His Father concerning these rebels.  The time has come to establish the kingdom on the earth.  The time of Tribulation is past, that necessary trial which was sent upon the earth, to cause men to cry out to God for deliverance; and these rebels had simply hardened their heart all the more. 

It will be the severe mercy of God to destroy them, before they destroy the rest of mankind with their violence and wickedness.  Righteousness cries out for the judgment of God upon the wicked; and God will give the rebels a just retribution.

The psalmist ends as he began. 

v. 23-24  Messiah once again asks His Father to search His heart.  The translation “anxieties” in verse 23 is unfortunate; the idea is for the Father to look over all the thoughts and motives of Messiah’s heart.  The sense is that Messiah desires only to do the will of His Father – just as He did in His first coming to the earth.

Even though the church was a mystery until God revealed it, this psalm shows that it was always part of the plan of God.  The church was just awaiting its unveiling – which allows us to see the few veiled references there are to it in the OT.  When we come to Ephesians chapter 5, we will see even more – further revelations of the manifold wisdom of God through the church.

The Mystery of the Church:  The Manifold Wisdom of God

Psalm 139

searched (139:1); search (139:23) – haqar – in this context, of the LORD probing the heart, examining the inner motives.

thought (139:2, 17) – rea‘ – indicates what a person has in mind, what his intents are.  Purpose or aim.

comprehend (139:3) – zarah – to winnow or sift; to measure off, scrutinize, discern. 

path (139:3) – orah – in this context, figurative of the course of life.

hedged (139:5) – mesura – enclosed, closed in, fenced. 

wonderful (139:6) – peli’ayh – in this context, beyond human ability.

high (139:6) – sagab  – in this context, figuratively meaning inaccessible

hell (139:8) – sheol – the abode of departed souls-spirits

formed (139:13) – qanah – to create, to bring forth.  In this context, to form a fetus in the womb.

inward parts (139:13) – kilyah – literally means kidney.  In this context, figuratively, the inward parts of man; the inner organs. 

covered (139:13) – sakak – In this context, to weave or knot together; to shape.  It describes the Lord’s activity in creating a fetus within the womb, of putting the parts together. 

wonderfully (139:14) – palah – the verb form carries the meaning of distinct, separate, set apart and different. 

frame (139:15) – osem – the frame of the body; bones. 

made (139:15) – asah – also means to build or construct.  Emphasis is on fashioning a created object.

skillfully wrought (139:15) – raqam – to embroider, to weave, to do needlework.  The Hebrew word means to deck with color, to variegate.  Hence it means to variegate a garment; to weave with threads of various colors.  It is used in its simple participial form to designate the person skilled in doing all kinds of elaborate weaving. Phrase here is maaseh roqem, which is used in a figurative sense of a human embryo’s being woven into existence.

lowest parts [of the earth] (139:15) – tahtiy – lower, below, lowest. The lowest parts of the earth indicates the realm of the dead (see Ezekiel 26:20, 31:14).

substance being yet unformed (139:16) – golem – anything folded up or undeveloped.  In this context, a fetus or embryo. It refers to the unformed child or embryo in the womb.

days (139:16) – yom – the most basic conception of time in the OT.  In this context, in the plural, lifespans.  

fashioned (139:16) – yasar – the fashioning or shaping of that which God created.  By extension, the word conveys the notion of predestination and election.

awake (139:18) – qiys – metaphorically here, of resurrection.

still (139:18) – ‘od – indicates repetition and/or continuance of something; a going around; again.

anxieties (139:23) – sar‘appim – in this context, thoughts, meditations

Lesson # 1 on Psalms 139

Please read Psalms 139

Lesson # 1   Study on Psalms 139  /   Ephesians 3:1-13

When Paul began writing this letter to the Gentile assemblies in Asia, He first laid out the eternal purposes of God for His creation of mankind – His plan of salvation (Eph 1).  Those purposes are realized for men in Christ.  Paul then showed the place in God’s eternal purposes of those who have responded to the gospel – both Jew and Gentile; that is, how they fit into His plan, together (Eph 2). 

What we find in the next part of Paul’s letter is a long, parenthetical statement, in which Paul will digress to show his own place – personally – in the eternal purposes of God.  What we will see is Paul’s part in God’s plan.  His part was to make a mystery known.

Let’s go ahead and read our passage together first.

[Ephesians 3:1-13]

Notice how Paul begins in verse 1:  “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles”.  Then Paul pauses, thinking for a moment about these Gentile recipients of his letter, and writes to them about himself in relation to them, in verse 2-13.  Then Paul resumes his thought from verse 1 in verse 14:  “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”, which is Paul beginning to pray for these Gentiles for the second time in his letter (see Eph 1:15-23).    

Looking at it without Paul’s parenthetical statement in vv. 2-13, Paul is saying “For this reason, I am praying for you”.  For what reason?  This takes us back into Paul’s final statement concerning Christ as the Cornerstone of the church.  Look back in chapter 2, verse 22:  “in whom [Christ the Cornerstone] you also [you Gentiles] are being built together [with the Jews] for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”. 

What have we learned was the purpose of this dwelling place, this temple of God?  What is this building for?  To be a place where men can come to meet God; to learn about God.  And what will draw men to this temple?  The light shining out through it; the unseen God, being seen, through those who believe and submit to Him. 

And that is what Paul is praying for them.  For the reason of fulfilling their purpose as the dwelling place of God in the Spirit, Paul is praying that they would be enlightened and empowered, filled with all the fullness of God, so that the light of God can shine out through them, and the love of God can work through them, penetrating into that dark, loveless world out there. 

But what we will actually be looking at this morning is this detour Paul took, before he prays. Now, when driving, some people view detours on the road as nothing more than a nuisance; they want to get to their destination, and they want to go the way that they intended, and the way that was initially charted out. 

But some road detours can be informative in themselves, giving new information about the area; and some detours can even be beautiful; you can see things you never knew were there, on a detour. 

Paul’s digressions can be viewed that way.  They are detours, but they are also informative, and beautiful.  We get to learn new things, and see glorious truths that we wouldn’t have seen, if we had stayed on track.  This one is no different; so we will go with Paul on his detour, and in doing so, shed a little more light about God’s plan, and how the church and specifically the Gentiles fit into it, as well as Paul’s particular part in it.

In verse 1, Paul calls himself “the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles”.  Where was Paul imprisoned, when he wrote this letter?  In Rome.  Do you remember why he was there?  We’re just going to refresh our memories briefly on the circumstances that brought Paul to be a prisoner in Rome. 

Turn to Romans chapter 15.  Paul wrote this letter to the assembly in Rome while he was in Corinth, on his third missionary trip.  This letter was written shortly before he returned to Jerusalem.

Paul had not yet been to Rome; the Roman assembly had come into being based on others preaching the gospel there.  Paul was writing here about his desire to come and see the believers in Rome.

[Romans 15:25-32]

v. 25-26  Paul planned to return to Jerusalem with an offering of alms from the Gentile assemblies to the mostly-Jewish church in Jerusalem.  The churches in Jerusalem and all Judea were impoverished due to the persecution of the unbelieving Jews there (Acts 8:1-3, 1 Th 2:14-15). 

By the time Paul was heading back to Jerusalem, he had delegates with him from Gentile assemblies in both Europe and Asia, to personally deliver their love-offering to their Jewish brethren (Acts 20:4).  This is how Paul perceived the offering.

v. 27  Paul saw the Gentile churches as debtors to the church in Jerusalem; why?  Out of love and compassion for the Gentiles, the Jewish brethren there had sent out their apostles and prophets to preach the gospel to them, foremost of who was Paul.  Because of this, the Gentiles had received the words of Life everlasting. 

That the Gentile brethren should send to their Jewish brethren a material expression of their love and gratitude was only fitting. And of course Paul recognized that it would go a long way to encouraging the unity of the Jewish and Gentile members of the Body of Christ. 

Paul the writes to this assembly of his prospective travel plans to Rome.  He has already mentioned in his letter that when he is able to journey to Spain, he would like to stop at Rome first (v. 24).  Now he mentions the timing.

v. 28-29  Paul was not indicating a specific time, but just that it would be after he had delivered the love offering in Jerusalem.

It is clear from what follows that Paul was concerned about his trip to Jerusalem.  He asks the assembly in Rome to pray for him there.

v. 30-32  Paul was anticipating trouble from the unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem.

The account in Acts brings out that on the way back to Jerusalem, the Spirit disclosed to Paul that chains and tribulation awaited him there (Acts 20:22-24); and before he actually arrived in Jerusalem, Paul completely submitted himself to the Lord’s will concerning this (Acts 21:12-14). 

Turn to Acts chapter 21.  After Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he delivered the alms to the elders of the church there, and shared with them what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.  The believers in Jerusalem glorified the Lord for this. 

But because rumors abounded in Jerusalem concerning Paul, the elders asked him to take a vow with some other Jews in the temple that would demonstrate to the Jews in Jerusalem – believing and unbelieving alike – that Paul did not advocate that Jews who became believers must renounce their customs. 

Now Paul was all things to all men – that he might by all means save some (1 Cor 9:22).  When with Jews, Paul put himself under the Law; he kept it – so as not to cause offense. 

So Paul willingly took the vow, as the elders of the church suggested.  I believe that Paul knew what would happen, based on what the Spirit had already revealed to him.  But Paul was willing to do it – for Love’s sake.

This is what happened when Paul was completing his vow in the temple in Jerusalem. 

[Acts 21:27-33]

v. 27-29  These Jews who were worshiping in the temple would have been unbelieving Jews; the Jewish believers met from house to house (Acts 2:46).  These unbelieving Jews were from the Roman province of Asia – probably from Ephesus, as they had recognized Trophimus – and they knew Paul, presumably because they had opposed him in their city. 

When they saw Paul and the other Jews completing their vows in the temple, they assumed that the Jews with Paul were in fact Gentiles.  As you remember, Gentiles were not permitted in the temple proper under penalty of death.  The same penalty would apply to a Jew who brought a Gentile into the Jewish courts.  So these Jews sounded the alarm – false though it was. 

v. 30-31  The Roman commander stationed in the fortress of Antonia, which overlooked the temple grounds, was alerted to the riot, and immediately acted.

v. 32-33  So Paul was bound with two chains, and became a prisoner of the Roman commander.

Jerusalem proved to be too volatile with Paul there, and so he was transferred to Caesarea.  There he was imprisoned by two consecutive Roman governors over a period of two years.  Then at his own request, and the governor’s relief, Paul and his case were transferred to Rome.  Paul would go to Rome as he had thought – though perhaps not in the way that he thought. 

As Paul had greatly helped the Roman centurion who was in charge of him on the journey to Rome, the centurion saw to it that Paul was not subjected to prison in Rome, but only kept under house arrest.  Nonetheless, even house arrest involved being lightly chained at the wrist to a guard – just in case. 

So what can we see was the cause of Paul losing his civil liberty?  It was because of a case of mistaken identity in the temple; they thought Paul brought Gentiles into the temple. 

And how did that mistake come to be made?  It was because Paul was in the temple in submission to the brethren in Jerusalem, to dispel rumors that Paul told believing Jews that they must give up their Jewish customs. 

And what caused them to think that, of Paul?  The fact that Paul preached to the Gentiles, and vociferously advocated their freedom from such Jewish customs. 

In fact, the very reason Paul was in Jerusalem in the first place has to do with the Gentiles, as well – he went up to promote the unity of the Jewish and Gentile brethren, through that love-offering. 

You can see, then, why Paul would say that he was a prisoner “for you Gentiles”.  It was because of his ministry among the Gentiles that he wound up in prison. 

But Paul saw that imprisonment in a unique way.  Now, Paul had been the prisoner of Claudius Lysias in Jerusalem; the prisoner of Felix and then Festus in Caesarea; and then the prisoner of Nero in Rome.  But was that the way Paul saw it?  No.  Paul saw himself as the prisoner of Christ Jesus. 

Paul was the prisoner of the Lord; what does that tell you about how he viewed his imprisonment?  He viewed it as the Lord’s will for him, and he viewed that will as always good, always acceptable, always perfect (Rm 12:2). 

Paul wasn’t blaming the Gentiles for the fact that he was in prison.  Paul just recognized that it was his ministry to them which caused him to be there; but that it was no less than the will of God for him.  And for that reason, Paul’s chains were neither a burden nor an impediment to him; they were in fact just another step along the path to glory, for himself, for the Gentiles, and for the church as a whole.  We’ll see this borne out at the end of our passage.  

So Paul the prisoner continued his letter to these Gentile believers.

v. 2  Paul now begins to reflect on his specific apostolic ministry, among the Gentiles.  The Greek word for “dispensation” is oikonomia; it is derived from the word oikos, household. 

Oikonomia can refer to the administration or management of a household, or it can refer to the office of the one who managed it.  In Paul’s day, a steward was a household manager who had great responsibility in a wealthy home.  This was a position of trust.

  

We have encountered this word before in Paul’s letter, back in chapter 1.  In Ephesians 1:10, Paul was speaking of the administration of the plans of God for the entire created universe by the Father – for that is His “household”, so to speak. 

But here in 2 :2, Paul is speaking of himself having been given an office to administrate. Paul is like the steward, managing over a household. 

Who would have given him this office?  God.  And what specifically would have been Paul’s “household”?  Notice Paul says that this dispensation was “given to me for you” (v. 2).  Who is the “you”?  The Gentiles.  That’s who Paul has been given to administer over. 

And what, specifically, was Paul’s responsibility to administer to that household (v. 2)?  The grace of God, which is the gospel of grace.  Paul is just using different terminology here to speak of his ministry to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. 

You might ask why Paul is using these different and somewhat challenging terms.  For two reasons.  One is that it ties what Paul is saying here to what he had said in the previous passage, at the end of chapter 2. 

That entire passage, concerning the Jews and Gentiles being fellow members of the household of God, is saturated with derivatives of the Greek word for household, oikos – five terms in four verses (2:19, oikeios, household; 2:20, epoikodomeo, built; oikeios, building; 2:22 sunoikodomeo, being built together; 2:22 katoiketerion, dwelling place).  Paul was saying that the church is the household of God, and that he has been appointed as steward to administer over the Gentile portion of it.

Another reason Paul is using these terms to describe his ministry is that it emphasizes his responsibility to the Gentiles:  God has entrusted Paul with the Gentile members of His household.  Paul is recognizing the greatness of this trust; and it causes him to reflect on how it all came to be. 

But before we continue with Paul’s reflection, I want to point out to you something else in verse 2.  Notice that the verse begins with the words “if indeed”.  In the Greek, this particle does not express doubt, but calls upon the readers to verify what is being said.  It could be translated “assuming you have heard” – assuming they had heard of Paul’s ministry. 

Paul then goes on to relate what is ministry was, for those who hadn’t heard of it.  This provides us with another fragment of evidence that our letter was not written to the assembly in Ephesus, with whom Paul had spent three years.  They would all have certainly known of his ministry, being the recipients of it. 

We continue reading as Paul reflects back on the ministry that God entrusted to him.

v. 2-4  So we come across that word “mystery” again, which we encountered in chapter one – there we read of the mystery of the Father’s will (Eph 1:9). 

You may remember that a mystery in the NT does not refer to something mysterious; it is a sacred truth of God which He has previously kept hidden or secret, and which cannot be fathomed by human reasoning, but which God is choosing to reveal.  God discloses the meaning of a mystery through His Spirit within a man; for the Spirit reveals the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10).   

All of the mysteries which Paul mentions in his letters relate in some way to Christ, and most, but not all, pertain to the church.  It makes sense that all mysteries relate to Christ, because mysteries are God’s concealed truths concerning His plans, and all of His plans center on His Christ. 

We saw that in chapter 1, where the mystery of the Father’s will as revealed by Paul was to reconcile all of His created beings – in heaven and on earth – to Himself in Christ. 

The “mystery” which Paul writes of in verse 3 is the same as that in verse 4; it’s the mystery of Christ – Paul’s general designation for the mystery that is disclosed in Him. 

In Paul’s references to mysteries in his other letters, he is either writing generally as here, or of a specific aspect of the mystery disclosed in Christ.  In verse 6 and 9, Paul refers to a specific aspect of the mystery – it concerns the Gentile believers.  We see that the mystery Paul is speaking of here, then, does also pertain to the church.

Notice that Paul says in verse 3 that he has already written briefly of this mystery.  Then in verse 4, he says that when these Gentiles read what he has written, they will understand that God has revealed to Paul this particular mystery of Christ, which we know concerns the Gentile believers. 

Clearly, Paul is referring to some other writing or letter of his, which these Gentiles have not yet read, but when they read it, they will be able to see Paul has had the mysteries revealed to Him by God. Can we know what Paul is referring to?  I think we can possibly know. 

Remember that Paul is writing this general letter at the same time or just after he drafted his letter to the assembly in Colosse.  Paul’s letter to that assembly was somewhat similar to this one, but more specific, with the doctrine more pertinent to Christ as the Head of His Body, the church; whereas this letter emphasizes the Body of Christ. 

At the end of the letter to the Colossians, Paul’s words suggest that this assembly is to swap letters with the letter from Laodicea, which I believe may be this general letter of Paul’s (Col 4:16).  Paul’s wording here in Ephesians 3 may therefore be referring to the letter to the Colossians, which Paul had written already.  Paul may have decided to circulate the letter he sent to the Colossians among the Gentile assemblies in Asia, to complete their teaching about the Head of the Body – Christ. 

I want to turn to that letter now, and just briefly show you a passage which shows Paul’s knowledge in the mystery of Christ, specifically to do with the Gentiles, as he is writing of here in Ephesians. 

Turn to Colossians chapter 1.  You’ll notice the similarity of this beginning part to Ephesians chapter 2.  “You” here is the Gentiles.

[Colossians 1:21-2:3, 11-14]

v. 21-22  Note Paul’s understanding that it is through co-crucifixion with Christ that a man dies out of that old creation in Adam, where in the flesh he was either Jew or Gentile, and is raised to new life in Christ – in a body of glory, now neither Jew nor Gentile – holy, blameless, and above reproach.

v. 23  one who truly believes will persevere in the faith.  The continuance proves the reality.

In the next verse, Paul is not saying that he is suffering beyond what Christ suffered; he is saying that through the members of His Body, Christ continues to suffer for the sake of the gospel.

v. 24-26  So we see Paul as in Ephesians, the steward over the Gentiles in God’s household.  The prophecies in the OT – the word of God concerning the Gentiles becoming part of the people of God – were a mystery to generations of Jews in times past, in terms of how this would be accomplished.  But now, these prophecies were being fulfilled, as the Gentiles responded to the gospel of grace which Paul preached to them. 

That mystery concerning the Gentiles has now been revealed; the word of God concerning the Gentiles fulfilled, through the coming of Christ.

v. 27-29  Here we see Paul writing of a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ – Christ dwelling within the believer through His Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of their inheritance of a glorified body – their know-so hope of glory. 

Notice that Paul is saying this specifically about the Gentile believers, showing that they too are part of God’s household, of His family, and along with the Jewish believers, have that know-so expectation of their inheritance – as a completed son of God, in a body of glory.

Paul continues.

2:1  Paul had never been to Colosse, Laodicea or Hieropolis.

v. 2-3  In verse 2, the words “both of the Father and” are not in the best manuscripts.  The reading that is more generally accepted is “to the knowledge of the mystery of God, of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. 

As we are seeing in Ephesians, it is in Christ that God has revealed plans that He has previously not disclosed to men.  Again, we see in Paul’s letters, most (not all) of the mysteries which God has chosen to reveal in His Christ concern the church.

Paul reveals more of his knowledge in the mystery of Christ.  Skip down to verse 11.

v. 11-12  Here Paul equates the meaning of baptism with that of circumcision, that sign that the Jews took in their flesh to show they were part of God’s covenant people.

Both baptism and circumcision were meant to show that the body of the flesh in Adam must be put off in death, by being co-crucified with Christ by faith, in order to be raised in new life in Christ, as a glorified son of God. Here Paul shows his understanding that the Gentiles have indeed been circumcised – they have received the circumcision made without hands – the circumcision of heart – by faith. 

v. 13-14  The Gentiles were not only lawless – that is, they didn’t have the Law – they were also lawbreakers, violating the law of God written in their hearts (Rm 2:14-15).  Paul shows that Christ took their violations to the cross with Him, and paid for them in full, with His shed blood.  Here Paul is revealing his understanding that the Gentiles are accepted by God on same terms as the Jews – through the one and only sacrifice which can take away sin – Christ. 

[Return to Ephesians]

The mystery of Christ that Paul speaks of in this passage, regarding the Gentiles, is something that was made known to Paul by revelation (v. 3).  When did God reveal this to Paul? 

Well, it began on that road to Damascus, when the resurrected, glorified Lord revealed Himself to Paul.  When Paul discovered that the Lord was indeed Jesus – the One whom Paul had been persecuting through His followers – Paul had a complete change of heart.  The great persecutor of the faith became its foremost proponent. 

At that time, the Lord revealed to Ananias that Paul was to be a chosen vessel of the Lord’s to bear His name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15).  This revelation was made known to Paul – that he was to be the apostle to the Gentiles – God’s appointed steward over the Gentiles in His household of faith. 

It was after his conversion that the Lord began to teach Paul the deep things of God; the mysteries that were now to be revealed, following Christ’s first coming to the earth.  Turn to Galatians chapter 1.  Paul was recounting how God called and commissioned him as the apostle to the Gentiles.

[Galatians 1:15-17]  Notice how Paul says when it pleased God ”to reveal His Son in me”. The Lord had revealed Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus; but now God would reveal His Son in Paul.  How?  Through the Holy Spirit. 

Paul went from Damascus to Arabia, where he spent three years (v. 18).  It was during this time that the Holy Spirit opened up the Scriptures to Paul, showing him the deep things of God; the fulfillment of the OT prophecies about Christ, in the person of Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit revealed the mysteries of Christ to Paul; mysteries that God desired to now make known, to those who were His, through Paul.  This would have included revelations concerning the Gentiles, which the apostle to the Gentiles would need to know – wouldn’t he?

[Return to Ephesians]

So Paul is talking about the Lord commissioning him specifically to preach the gospel of grace to the Gentiles, for which Paul received specific revelations of the mystery of Christ, that he was to make known.

Let’s continue in verse 5.

v. 5  so this mystery, concerning the Gentiles, was not only made known to Paul; it was revealed by the Spirit to all of the apostles and prophets.  This is again speaking of the NT prophets, as in 2:20.  The apostles and the prophets were the evangelists, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with both Jews and Gentiles. 

The Lord was not revealing this mystery with any partiality; He was simply revealing it to the key individuals who would take it to all the members of His Body.  When God reveals a mystery, His intent is to make it known to all who are His.

The Spirit’s revelation to the other apostles and prophets may come as events unfolded, such as the conversion of Cornelius.  We looked at this when we discussed the history of the Jews and the Gentiles.

Now Paul records exactly what this mystery of Christ is, concerning the Gentiles.

v. 6  Notice that the mystery is not that the Gentiles would be saved.  There are many OT prophecies that directly state exactly that; their salvation was not a mystery.  The mystery was that the Gentiles would become equal and one with the Jews, in Christ. 

This is brought out by the three compound words which Paul chooses to use in this verse.  “Fellow heirs” means literally, “together heirs”.  “Same body” means “together body”.  Partakers are “together partakers”. 

The emphasis is on equality and unity, in terms of their equal position as sons in the family of God, as Christ Ones – fellow heirs; in terms of the united source of their Life, Christ – same body; and in terms of receiving the same, promised heavenly inheritance – a glorified body, like unto their Lord’s.  This is the mystery, revealed:  they are one in Christ Jesus.

Paul continues, speaking of the gospel, which availed these blessings to both Jew and Gentile.

v. 7-8  You can just see the humility of Paul here.  I don’t think he ever lost sight of just what the Lord had delivered him from.  Later he will write to Timothy, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim 1:12-13).

Paul became a minister – the word simply means, a servant.  Paul’s service was according what God graced him with, through the power of the Holy Spirit – as an apostle, a prophet, and a teacher – to equip Paul for his ministry to the Gentiles, sharing with them the unsearchable riches of Christ – of the Lord, Himself. 

Can you sense by Paul’s words what an honor he considered this to be?  All ministry is an honor.  It is a privilege to preach the gospel of Christ – by word, or by deed.

So to Paul was given to preach the gospel of Christ the Gentiles, and also, in verse 9 –

 v. 9-11  the word “fellowship” in verse 9 is the word “dispensation”, or “stewardship” in all the better manuscripts – the same word as in verse 2.  Paul is speaking of God having especially entrusted him, as His servant to the Gentiles, to make known the revelation of the mystery concerning them – that the Gentiles and the Jews become one in Christ. 

This was God’s eternal purpose for men, which He planned from eternity past, before He ever created mankind; to reconcile both Jew and Gentile to Himself in Christ, and in so doing, reconcile them to one another. 

Paul indicates that it was the manifold wisdom of God to do this.  The word “manifold” means variegated, diverse, or multi-colored.  It is used by classical Greek writers with reference to cloth, suggesting an intricate beauty of an embroidered pattern; or to flowers, in their endless variety of color. 

This unique word is what Paul used to describe the wisdom of God, which he indicates the church makes known, or declares.  The idea is not that the church speaks the wisdom of God forth; the church declares the manifold wisdom of God by her very existence; she is the revelation of it.  In the church, it can be seen that God’s plan of salvation embraces His entire creation of mankind. We will speak more about the manifold wisdom of God revealed in the church next week.

To whom is the manifold wisdom of God declared by the church (v. 10)?  Paul says to the principalities and powers in the heavenlies.  This speaks of the angelic order of creation, and I believe Paul is intending here to include both the angels who remained loyal to God, and those who rebelled against Him. 

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul is speaking about the work that Christ did on the cross.  By that work, Paul says of Christ, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:15). 

The imagery is that of a victorious conqueror, who parades his vanquished enemies before the people whom the enemy has enslaved – the people who were freed by the conqueror.  This is how Paul portrays Christ’s victory over Satan and his angels, having set believers free from sin and death.  In His manifold wisdom, God has vanquished His enemies. 

But the manifold wisdom of God that is displayed by the church will cause the holy angels of God to marvel; to rejoice; to praise God.  Jesus said that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Lk 15:10).  For the holy angels to see those who were at enmity with God and at enmity with each other reconciled in one body will cause resounding praise for the One whose wisdom brought it to pass. 

Turn to First Peter chapter 1.  Peter has been writing of the salvation men receive in Christ.

[First Peter 1:10-12]

v. 10-11  This is speaking of the OT prophets.  The Holy Spirit in them shared with them about the coming Christ – details of His death, His resurrection, His ascension, which they recorded – so that when Christ came, He could be seen to fulfill the Scriptures. 

v. 12  This revelation was made to the prophets, so that it could be shown through those whom the Spirit sent to preach the gospel to men – that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4). 

Notice how Peter ends it – things which angels desire to look into.  What God is doing among men is of intense interest to the angels, as those who minister to the heirs of salvation (Heb 1:14).  And remember the fullness of that salvation – a body of glory, like unto our Lord’s.  Then God will have His glorious purpose for mankind realized – He will have men in His image – to the praise of His glory.

[Return to Ephesians]

Paul continues about the eternal purpose of God being realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.

v. 12  Paul’s point in saying this here is to show again that both Jew and Gentile have equal and full access to the Father, because they are equally and fully his sons.  By faith in Christ, everyone can now approach God on the same terms.

v. 13  Paul knows that these Gentile believers will be tempted to be disheartened by his imprisonment.  He is their apostle, and the champion of their freedom in Christ.  But Paul is trusting all to God, knowing there was no better place to be than in the center of His will. 

And we can see through what Paul is sharing here that he is encouraging the Gentiles to look beyond his circumstances to God’s greater purposes, in which both he and they have already secured a place in glory, by faith. 

Paul had already written, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rm 8:18).  Despite Paul’s chains, they would always be one – in Christ Jesus.   

 Ephesians 3:1-13

 if indeed (3:2) – ei ge – assuming; does not express doubt, but calls on the readers to verify what is being said. 

dispensation (3:2,9) – oikonomia – administration; stewardship.  The responsibility of the person who administers or manages a household, oikos.

revelation (3:3) – apokalupsis – the revelation of the mysteries refers to divine purposes and doctrines which before were unknown and concealed.

mystery (3:3, 4, 9) – musterion – a sacred thing hidden or secret which is naturally unknown to human reason and is only known by the revelation of God.

fellow heirs (3:6) – sugkleronomos – from sun, together, and kleronomos, an heir.  One who participates in the same lot.  A joint heir.

of the same body (3:6) – sussomos – from sun, together, and soma, body.  United in one body.

partakers (3:6) – summetochos – from sun, together with, and metochos, a partaker.  A joint partaker.

minister (3:7) – diakonos – servant.  The word is used most often from one who lived and worked in the service of Christ.

principalities (3:10) – arche – in this context, a metonym for persons of preeminence and authority.  Here it is speaking of the princes or chiefs among angels.

powers (3:10) – exousia – in this context, a metonym for those invested with power; speaking here of celestial power; angels.

manifold (3:10) – polupoikilos – from polus, much, and poikilos, diverse, various, multi-colored.  Greatly diversified, abounding in variety.  Variegated.  Used in classical Greek writers with reference to cloth or flowers, and so here it suggests the intricate beauty of an embroidered pattern or the endless variety of colors in flowers.  Such is the wisdom of God that the church declares.

accomplished  (3:11) – poieo – to make, to do, to work, expressing action either as completed or continued. 

boldness (3:12) – parresia – Freedom or frankness in speaking.  Confidence, particularly in speaking.

access (3:12) – prosagoge – from prosago, to bring near.  Access, approach.  The term was commonly used for the audience or right of approach granted to someone by high officials and monarchs.

Eternal Related Studies

As we continue our study of The Eternal Covenant and God's Message in the Stars other links come up and will be posted here as short relating studies.